Process for the synthetic production of cyanids.



, 1,256,272. No Drawing.

UNITED s'ra'rns PATENT otmion.

PAUL A. STARKE, or BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS FOR THE SYNTHETIC PRODUCTION OF (IYANIDS.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that I, PAUL A. STARKE,

citizen of the United States, residing {1L Berkeley, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Processes for the Synthetic Production of C 'anids, of

which the following is a specification.

' My invention relatesto the synthetic pro- 'tlucfioirof cyanids by the reaction of a mix ture ot a hydrocarbon gas and tlllllllOIllll. in the presence of a reactive mass.

In -a prior United States Patent No. 1,206,155, Nov. 28, 1916,- granted to me jointly with Eric A. Starke, we disclose a precess of passing a mixture of methane and air through a special catalyzer, whereby at a h gh temperature cyanids are formed :which maythen, if desired. be converted, as by superheated steam, into for-mates and ammonia, the'latter being recovered by condenjsation.

Ihave now-found that hydrocarbon gas, and particularly mixtures o't paratiin hydrocarbons, as. forexample, natural gas, when nni xed in the first instance with ammonia will react, under a given range of temperature, in the presence of an alkaline reactive mass, toform cyanids. eithcrgsodium or potassiumlc'yanid abcording to the composition of thereactive mass. f ".T its is my presentinvention. and I- may now particularly describe it as follows: The

' reactive mass agent is composed of alkaline.

substances 'to which a metal of the iron group, such as-iron, nickel, cobalt. chromium or aluminum is best added to'a'ccelerate the reaction. In its best form 'it comprises a mixture of sodium carbonate, magnesium.

oxid. andiron. the latter being either finely divided metallic iron, an oxid or one of the salts of iron.

As an example. the proportions ofthese' components of the reactive mass maybe given, as follows: Sodium I carbonate 20 parts; magnesium oxid '30 parts; metallic iron 50% This mixture is-prepared by grindingit thoroughly and then placing it in a furnaceand heating it up to, say between 400,-and-80O degrees Centigrade. No

carbon is; included as a chemical reactive agent, but.,I maystate that the inclusion of a small'amount of carbon'toincrease the porosity of the mass may be a benefit. In-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent-minute, 1918.

Application filed September 11. 1916. Serial No. 119,575.

stead of carbon, for this PHIPOSQI may incfude inthc mixture some sticky substance such as crude oil or molasses.

4 The gaseous mixture is composed of hydrocarbon gas and ammonia. The hydro carbons used may be various, 'and either artificially prepared or natural. I prefer some form of saturated hydrocarbons, such as methane, or its 'hcmologues which fully furnish the carbon necessary for the ream tion; and, on account of its abundance and availability I prefer natural gas'which. is a mixture of saturated hydrocarbons. As an example of my'gaseous mixture I give one part by volume of ammonia and 10 parts of natural gas, though I do not confine myself to these proportions.

In carrying out my process, Iplace the reactive agent. in a 'retor t.and heat. it up to a temperature not less than say 1000 degrees centigrade, and while under the heat I pass the gaseous mixture of natural gas and ammonia through it. By consequent reaction alkaline substances and a metal of the iron group, to term cyanid therein, and then recovering said cyanid.

The process for the synthetic production of cyanids. which consists in passing a mixture of hydrocarbon gas and ammonia through a heated reactive mass devoid of carbon as a chemical reactive agent and comprising substances capable. of reacting and then rccovcr-ingsaid toform cyanid therein, and thenrecovering said evanid.

4. The process for the synthetic production of cyanids which consists in passing a mixture of hydrocarbon gas and ammonia through a h'cated reactive mass devoid of tairbo' ras a chemical reactive agent and com- 'posedet' alkaline substances and a metal of the iron group, to form cyanid therein, and then recovering said eyanid.

- a The process for the synthetic production of cyamds -\\l1]Cl1- consists in passing a mixture of'hydrocarbon gas and ammonia through a reactive mass'at a temperature of approximately ,1000 degrees centigrade 0 said mass comprising substances capable. of

reacting to form cyanid therein, recovering said cyanid.

0. The process for the synthetic produc- "tion of cyanids, which consists in passing a and then 6 mixture of hydrocarbon,gas and ammonia itlir lglm a reactive mass composed of alkaline substances 'and1a metal ot the ron group, at a temperature of approximately 1000 degrees centigrade, to form cyanid therein, and then recoveringsaidcyanich 7. The processt'or the synthetic produc-:

tion of cyanids which consists in passing a llHXtlIl0 0f hydrocarbon gas and ammonia through a reactive mass devoid of carbon as a chemical reactive agent, at a temperature of approximately 1000 degrees centigrade,

said-mass comprising substances capable of centigrade, to form cyanid therein, and then recovering said cyanid;

9. In the process for the synt etic production of cyanids by catalysis, that step which consists in subjecting a mixture of natural gas and ammonia, under a temperature of approximately 1000 degrees centigrade, to a reactive mass devoid of carbon as achemical reactive agent, and comprising substances capable of reacting to form. 'cya nid therein. t

n testimony whereof I-have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' PAUL A. STARKE. Vitnesses:

' WVM. I. Boo'rn,

' D. B. RICHARDS. 

